Refrigeration



Oct. 6, 1942.

INV NTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 6, 1942 REFRIGERATION william R. Hainsworth, Larchmont, N. Y., assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 14, 1938, Serial No. 240,270

2 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigeration and more particularly t6 utilizing solar heat to supply suitable fluid heated by the sun and utilizing this` stored hot water to furnish heat to a refrigerator during period of no solar radiation.

Fig. l of the drawing shows more or less diagrammatically a refrigerator heating system embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a section of the heat absorber shown in Fig. l. A sun ray heat absorber l is shown for simplicity in the form of a semi-circular trough having a reecting surface adaptedto concentrate sunv rays at one line along its length. In this line is positioned a portion of a conduit I I. One end of conduit Il is connected vto a conduit I2` which is connected to the upper part of an insulated storage tank I3. The other end o conduit Il is connected to a conduit I4. One end of conduit I4 is connected to the bottom of the storage tank I3.

A refrigerator I5 is equipped with an absorp-n" tion type refrigeration apparatus including a cooling element I6 in the refrigerator storage compartment Il Aand a generator I8 in the apparatus compartment of the refrigerator. The

refrigeration apparatus is only indicated generally as representative of aheat operated refrigerator. The apparatus maybe like that described in U. S. Patent No. 2,'Q37,'782 of Wm. R. Hainsworth. In the generator I8 is a heating chamber I9. Conduit I2 is connected to one end of heating chamber I9 and conduit I4 is con nected to the other end of heating chamber I9. In conduit I2 is. athermostatic water `valve 20 vhaving a sensitive bulb 2l in Contact with the evaporator I6 so that operation of valve 20 is responsive to the temperature of evaporator I6.

'I'he system including storage tank I3 and conduits II, I2 and I4 is filled with water or other suitable heat conducting liquid. The storage tank I3 is thermally insulated.

During sunlight hours water in conduit Il is heated by the sun ray heater III. Heating of water in conduit II causes thermosyphon flow of water upward in conduit Il and downward in conduit I4 from the bottom of tank I3 to the lower end of conduit I I. In this manner the tank I3 gradually becomes filled with hot Water. When valve 20 is open, hot water from the top of tank I3 and upper end of conduit II also flows through conduit I2, heating chamber I9, and conduit I4 to the lower end of'conduit Il. Valve 20 opens responsive to increase in temperature of refrigerator evaporator I6 and closes responsive to decrease in temperature of the evaporator. Hot water ilowing through the generator heating chamber I9 supplies heat for operation of the re'- irigerator. Valve 20 controls this heat input responsive to a temperature condition affected by the evaporator I6.

During hours of darkness, meaning at night or when the suns rays are otherwise obscured as on a cloudy day, water is not heated in conduit Il. During this time hot water flows from the upper part of tank I3 through conduit I2 under the control of valve 20 into the generator heating chamber I9 and then back to the tank I3 through conduit Il.

What is claimed is:

1. In the combination of a heat operated refrigerator and a solar heater, a thermal storage and transfer system comprising an insulated liquid storage tank, conduits forming a path for flow of liquid between the top and bottom of said storage tank having two parallel branches, the solar heater being arranged to heat liquid in one of said branches, the refrigerator being arranged to be operatively heated by liquid in the other of said branches, and means for controlling flow of liquid in said second branch responsive toan operating condition of said refrigerator.

2. A method'of utilizing sunlight for heating a heat operated refrigerator which includes concentrating sun rays to heat liquid, utilizing some of the heated liquid to heat a heat operated refrigerator, re-heating the liquid thus utilized during sunlight hours, storing the remainder of the heated liquid during sunlight hours, and utilizing the stored liquid for heating the refrigerator during periods of darkness.

WILLIAM R. HAINSWORTH. 

